A father chased off a knife-wielding paedophile who had groomed his 12-year-old daughter on TikTok. Samuel Hyde, 35, lied about his age when contacting the girl, then travelled more than 200 miles from Lancashire to meet her at a train station in Treherbert, Wales.
Assault and escape
Armed with a kitchen knife, Hyde led the girl away from the station before sexually assaulting her, telling her: 'I've travelled five hours for this.' The girl managed to escape and called her dad, who arrived at the scene and chased away Hyde. Police later arrested him in Treherbert, South Wales.
In court, Hyde told officers: 'Males and females get aroused sexually no matter what age they are.'
Victim impact
Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard a victim impact statement from the girl, who said: 'Since this incident I haven't wanted to leave my home address and have issues trusting others. When I spoke to him online and met him I believed I could trust him. He seemed nice. I am now afraid to speak to others online. This will stay with me for the rest of my life. I shouldn't have to feel like this or be put in this position.'
She added: 'He could have raped me or even killed me, it makes me frightened. I heard he had a knife in his bag which makes me feel afraid. It could have been worse. I struggle to sleep at night and think about what could have happened that day. I now only leave the house with a black hoody with the hood pulled up.'
Sentencing
The court heard Hyde, of Lytham St Annes, Lancs, had previous convictions for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and causing a child under 16 to watch a sexual act. He admitted assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, engaging in sexual communication with a child, possession of a knife, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Jailing Hyde for four years with an extended licence of four years and handing him a 12-year sexual harm prevention order, Recorder Dyfed Thomas said the 'depraved' defendant had led the victim away from the station with the 'intent' to sexually assault her. The judge added: 'Why you had a kitchen knife in your rucksack to meet who you thought was an underage girl is a matter of grave concern. You have a perverse way of thinking about children and their behaviour, you have no idea that children are totally different to adults.'
Detective Constable Gareth Thomas said: 'Samuel Hyde's behaviour towards his victim was shocking and completely unacceptable. He took advantage of them and showed complete disregard for their wellbeing. We commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward to disclose what Hyde did to them. If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual abuse, please do not hesitate to report it to police.'
